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Irish folk trio The Whileaways have released their new studio album, When You Are Falling, accompanied by a national tour. Comprising Noelie McDonnell, Noriana Kennedy, and Nicola Joyce, the Galway-based band formed in 2012 and have balanced their collective work with individual side projects across the traditional music scene.
Band members find hope in new record
Speaking about the title of their new record, the band members stated that they are carrying the weight of different life experiences as they grow older. They noted that they have been through difficult times and understand what it feels like to have the rug pulled out from under them. However, they pointed to a quiet reassurance in the title and the music, expressing a collective hope that when everything is in freefall, they will ultimately hold each other up.
Alongside their work as a trio, the members maintain active separate careers. Noelie McDonnell has been touring as a member of The Saw Doctors. Nicola Joyce recorded an album with The Half Room, a traditional and folk project alongside her brother and Pauline Scanlon. Noriana Kennedy has toured across Ireland, London, and Paris as part of a traditional music collaboration featuring Bothy Band fiddler Kevin Burke. Together, the three also collaborate with Pauline Scanlon in Bird on the Wire, a project celebrating the songs of Leonard Cohen.
Noelie McDonnell recalls early musical experiences
Reflecting on his musical background, Noelie McDonnell recalled that one of his first ever gigs was opening for The Saw Doctors in Tuam Stadium in his hometown in 1991 when he was 13 years old. Decades later, he now joins the band on backing vocals and guitar. He also recalled being taken to see Mary Coughlan in Leisureland in Galway in the mid-1980s, an artist he later shared a stage with earlier this year when The Whileaways hosted Galway’s Town Hall Theatre’s 30th Anniversary.
His first record purchase was A-ha’s debut album in 1985, bought with piggy bank money at HMV on Grafton Street after the massive success of the single Take On Me. His list of musical inspirations spans Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, John Prine, Guy Clark, Dolores Keane, The Staves, Bonny Light Horseman, Gillian Welch, The Saw Doctors, Pauline Scanlon, John Spillane, Elbow, Greg Brown, Lucinda Williams, Nicola Joyce, Noriana Kennedy, and Padraig Stevens.
Band Background Details
- Formation Year: 2012
- Current Release: When You Are Falling
- Collaborative Projects: Bird on the Wire (Leonard Cohen tribute with Pauline Scanlon)
Frequently Asked Questions About The Whileaways
How does the band describe their musical style?
The Whileaways aim to tell straightforward stories with their music. They aspire to create songs that can make listeners laugh or cry while remaining hopeful and uplifting.
What are the members’ current side projects?
Noelie McDonnell tours with The Saw Doctors, Nicola Joyce performs with traditional project The Half Room, and Noriana Kennedy tours with a traditional collaboration featuring fiddler Kevin Burke.
Where can listeners find the new album?
When You Are Falling is available to buy and stream across standard digital platforms, with additional tour information hosted on the band’s official website.
The trio’s national tour in support of When You Are Falling runs concurrently with their ongoing individual folk and traditional engagements across Ireland and abroad.
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